When I asked for Hyperion to send this to me for review I was expecting a riveting read. I knew the name Pat Brown, but was not placing her face or accomplishments. After reading The Profiler, I can only assume that I have seen her on Nancy Grace or one of the other HLN shows that discuss crime and often have various guests on to weigh in on the topics being discussed. Things start out good. In fact, I had no complaints in the beginning. It’s hard to complain when a book starts out with a murder.

Things are good in The Profiler for a few chapters although the doubts of the success of the entire book start very soon. This is a book about crime. Not only that, it is a book about a housewife that becomes a modern day Sherlock Holmes type (or so Brown likes to put it). The problem is that there are many differences between the fictional Holmes and the real life Brown. Among those differences is one appears to be a concerned, yet occasionally meddling former housewife and the other is a clever detective.

From the start, we learn things about Brown that we don’t need to know. Things like her breastfeeding habits (until her children were two, if you were wondering), the activities she participated in at church, and how she went to a school where girls didn’t get pregnant are completely unrelated to her job as a self-employed profiler. These things are mentioned as well as a thoughtful paragraph about her ex-husband who was a great father, but didn’t understand his wife enough to keep her after 25 years of marriage.

In the beginning of the book Brown is married and living with her husband and kids. She rents out a room in her home to a boarder named Walt Williams. Walt is the kind of guy that most people would suspect was a criminal. He was one of those unsavory types that wore fishnet tops to church and couldn’t keep a job. He lied constantly and everyone, even his own daddy, said he was weird. So, when the one murder that rocked the community where Brown lived occurred, she set out on a path to become a profiler and prove that he did it.

Did he do it? Based on the evidence there is a good chance. After over 20 years Williams remains the only suspect in the case, but there is not enough evidence in the physical sense to prove that he did it. Much of the book follows this path. The first half is dedicated entirely to Brown’s journey becoming a profiler and on Williams and her need to prove that he was the murderer. Things go back and forth until it is pretty much proven that he did it and beat the system. By the end of the first half of the book, Brown has finally become a working profiler.

From here we get a chance to read up on cases that Brown has worked on throughout her career. Many of these cases, it appears, she sought out on her own or at the urging of one other person. Often the cases are old and the evidence is no longer readily available to her. In some cases, the victim’s family and/or the police officer do not even want Brown to be involved. Still, she continues to do what she thinks she does best and profiles the crime.

Unfortunately, if you are looking for information about an average person that becomes a profiler and how that is done, you’re not going to find it here. Even the descriptions of the cases and the information that Brown offers is general. If you have had any lower level college Criminal Justice courses this will not be that interesting and you will not gain any knowledge from what Brown has to say. The same could probably be said for anyone that has watched enough Criminal Minds or true crime television.

The writing style is exceptionally dry for crime writing. While something like this might normally be exciting, by page 70, I was telling myself I still had hundreds of pages to go. Later still, by page 150, I was telling myself that sometimes as a reviewer we are forced to review bad things, too, as that is part of the job.

If you like crime novels for the excitement often found in them you will want to skip this one. Additionally, if you read autobiographies (or memoirs) for the conversational tone and closeness to the subject this probably won’t be for you. Sure, Brown manages to offer a conversational tone, but her egocentric style of storytelling leaves much to be desired. You can find plenty of better books, so if you have to read The Profiler, you might want to see if your local library is carrying it.

The Profiler: My Life Hunting Serial Killers & Psychopaths by Pat Brown hit bookstores May 18, 2010. It is available at most chain retailers that offer books and online through stores such as Amazon.com, which sells it in multiple formats.

Technorati Tags: Criminal Profiling, Book Review, The Profiler, My Life Hunting Serial Killers & Psychopaths, Pat Brown, Nancy Grace, True Story, Nonfiction

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of September 12, 2008, which means you have until September 11, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

About the Book:
KEEP THE FAITH: A MEMOIR

Biggie’s wife, Lil’ Kim’s rival, Tupac’s rumored lover, and Platinum-selling R&B queen; Faith has kept her secrets and her silence… until now.

KEEP THE FAITH: A MEMOIR is Faith Evans’ first person account of life at ground zero of hip-hop’s greatest generation.

Faith Evans, with Aliya S. King, shares the truth about the love affair that changed her life, and the innuendo that rocked the hip-hop world to its core.

Technorati Tags: Book, Giveaway, Rap, Hip Hop, Faith Evans, Biggie, Lil Kim, Tupac, Aliya S. King, Love Affair, Ground Zero, Literary Illusions

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will begin choosing winners for this the week of May 25, 2008, which means you have until May 24, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Yes, You’re Pregnant, But What About Me? Book Page

Now, in his first-ever book, Nealon tells the outrageous story of how he battled through aching joints, Milano cookie cravings, and a rapidly receding hairline to become a first-time dad at an age when most fathers are packing their kids off to college. Offering hysterical commentary about his fickle, often hormonal, road to belated and bloated fatherhood, Nealon guides you through the delivery room and beyond, discussing how his past, his wife, and his neuroses all converged in a montage of side-splitting insecurities during the months leading up to the birth of his son.

In Yes, You’re Pregnant, But What About Me?, Nealon details his trip through all the emotional stages of pregnancy—uncomfortable, denial, hungry, sleepy, self-conscious, hungrier, confused, cranky, not-quite-as-hungry but still craving something, sweaty, covered in cookie crumbs—all while struggling to keep his blood pressure down and find the time to read the latest issue of the AARP Bulletin. Wrestling with the dilemmas and fears that fathers have been dealing with for centuries (Can I duct-tape a crib together? How often can I reuse a disposable diaper? What if the baby looks like me and not my wife?), Nealon never fails to entertain with the frequent lunacy and inevitable joy that punctuate his story about parenthood.

Laugh-out-loud funny and remarkably poignant, Nealon’s entertaining perspective and his wealth of sarcasm provide a take on fatherhood that is as fresh as it is universal, always reminding you that half the fun of being a parent is getting there.

Technorati Tags: Contest, Giveaway, Book, Comedy, Non-Fiction, Literary Illusions, Harper Collins, Entertainment, Kevin Nealon, Fatherhood

From the Hyperion Book Page:

Sinatra. Streisand. Dylan. Pavarotti. McCartney. Sting. Madonna. What do these musicians have in common besides their super-stardom? They have all worked with legendary music producer Phil Ramone.

For almost five decades, Phil Ramone has been a force in the music industry. He has produced records and collaborated with almost every major talent in the business. There is a craft to making records, and Phil has spent his life mastering it. For the first time ever, he shares the secrets of his trade.

Making Records is a fascinating look “behind the glass” of a recording studio. From Phil’s exhilarating early days recording jazz and commercial jingles at A&R, to his first studio, and eventual legendary producer status, Phil allows you to sit in on the sessions that created some of the most memorable music of the 20th century — including Frank Sinatra’s Duets album, Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks, Ray Charles’s Genius Loves Company and Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years.

In addition to being a ringside seat for contemporary popular music history, Making Records is an unprecedented tutorial on the magic behind what music producers and engineers do. In these pages, Phil offers a rare peek inside the way music is made . . . illuminating the creative thought processes behind some of the most influential sessions in music history.

This is a book about the art that is making records — the way it began, the way it is now, and everything in between.

Good Luck!

We’ve chosen our winners – They are:

Charlene Kuser
A. Ashley
Ruth Utterback!

Congrats Folks! Please contact us with your mailing address so we can send you your prize!

Technorati Tags: Making Records, The Scenes Behind the Music, Phil Ramone, Charles Granata, NonFiction, Novel, Literary Illusions, Book, Contest

In the past year, having graduated college and been thrust head-long into the "real world," I’ve come to learn a number of lessons that I failed to pick up during my four years of higher education. Most notably, I’ve learned that the "real world" costs a hell of a lot of money. And it’s a lesson I’ve learned quicker than any other as the job opportunities have failed to materialize but the bills still show up right on schedule (there’s something about choosing between eating or making rent that’ll drive home knowledge far more effectively than highlighting passages in a textbook).

Unable to find a job I desired, I had started to feel bad about myself and wondering if maybe I should have spent more time in school studying instead of sleeping off hangovers. But apparently I’m not the only one feeling the post-college squeeze.

In his incisive debut, The Trap: Selling Out to Stay Afloat in Winner-Take-All America, author Daniel Brook argues that America’s exploding income gap has made it virtually impossible for well-educated young people to support themselves following a career in their chosen field of study. The rising costs of education, housing and healthcare have forced the country’s best and brightest to choose between following their passions or accepting high-paying corporate positions to enjoy what were once considered middle-class comforts.

And when people are unable to afford to follow their passions in the arts, education and public service, Brook concludes that not only does the whole of society suffer but the promise of the American Dream is proven false.

In The Trap, Brook argues for a break from the current conservative-minded policies which have dominated politics since the Reagan era and a return to the socially and economically progressive policies of post-World War II America.

He leaves no stone unturned as he charts how America’s policies regressed so much since the time after World War II and the crippling effects these current policies are having on society. He covers a multitude of professional positions which have suffered, from would-be entrepreneurs who can’t afford to run their own businesses and cover healthcare costs to young lawyers that wish to serve the public good but are unable to repay their school loans.

For every position Brook provides examples, conducting interviews with people attempting to reconcile their dreams with the staggering costs of attaining them, something almost 100% of his interviewees are unable to accomplish. He further documents the detrimental effects this has on society as a whole, citing the most current available economic data to argue that American society has regressed from a democracy to one dominated by a rigid class structure reminiscent of imperial England.

Effectively utilizing bold language, revealing interviews, and shocking statistics Brook’s argument is more than convincing. His argument is clear, direct and well-served by an oft-employed insightful wit (such as when he notes the irony of a public reading of Allen Ginsberg’s "Howl" being sponsored by a credit card company). His case is further advanced by a notable passion he exhibits in his vilifying of conservative ideals and their defenders, particularly Ronald Reagan.

His is hardly a one-sided view, however, as he is equally critical of the left and their cowardice in opposing the right. Above all, it is the compassion Brook clearly feels for those he interviews and his heartfelt belief in the democratic ideals of the American dream that make his writing so compelling.

With upcoming presidential election, Daniel Brook’s The Trap: Selling Out to Stay Afloat in Winner-Take-All America is as timely a work as there has ever been, addressing a critical inequality in American society that a precious few seem to be mentioning. Buy it, read it and go tell all your friends. It’s that good.

Technorati Tags: The Trap, Selling Out to Stay Afloat in Winner Take All America, Daniel Brook, Book Review

In contemporary American society people divide and identify themselves along numerous lines, most notably race, gender, sexuality and religion. With a population so diverse you would think discrimination would often rear its ugly head and infiltrate all aspects of American life from job and school applications to simply shopping at the supermarket.  Luckily, the liberal philosophy of political-correctness, with its emphasis on respecting instead of ridiculing the differences of others, serves to limit the risk of people facing discrimination for their differences.

In fact, it strongly encourages diversity in all its forms as corporations regularly sponsor diversity training, colleges proudly announce where they rank in terms of a diverse student body and the federal government devotes months of the calendar to honor the history of different cultural groups.  But such an emphasis on celebrating diversity has masked the problem concerning the one difference in American society that truly matters: the widening economic gap between the upper and lower classes.

This idea that anti-discrimination policies are contributions to injustice is the central argument to Walter Benn Michaels’ latest book The Trouble With Diversity: How We Learned to Love Identity and Ignore Inequality.

With precise language, the latest available data, and examples drawn from literature, current events, and pop culture, Michaels successfully argues that by encouraging diversity in all its forms we have also accepted economic inequality. Michaels breaks his argument down into six parts, each discussing a separate aspect of why we are obsessed with identifying ourselves along different cultural lines and how the liberal emphasis on respecting these cultural differences ignore the real problem of inequality.  He first breaks down our society’s preconceived notions about race, citing the latest scientific evidence to argue that race has since become a cultural or social identity as opposed to a physiological one.

Michaels then goes on to explain why we favor an attachment to these cultural identities because they are easier to acquire and defend than economic equality.  He then spends the rest of his argument further citing how the principles of diversity contrast with the principles of equality, drawing from multiple resources to reiterate his statement that diversity functions mainly as a program to ensure the comfort of rich people of different colors.

Michaels’ writing is clear and compelling.  His argument is well-served by precise statements which exhibit a thoughtful insight and incisive wit. His argument comes across as urgent and accessible due to his excellent use of relevant examples drawn from current events and popular culture.

Michaels further seals his argument air-tight with his book’s structure.  Each chapter builds on the one that preceded it and he continually constructs upon the solid arguments presented within his introduction until the reader finds himself fully in league with his ideas by the book’s end.

Far from simply an attack on liberal ideals, Walter Benn Michaels’ The Trouble With Diversity: How We Learned to Love Identity and Ignore Inequality is a brilliant look at how both sides of the political spectrum have used the principles of diversity to appease American society’s need for identity while ignoring its need for economic equality.

Technorati Tags: The Trouble with Diversity, How We Learned to Love Identity and Ignore Inequality, Walter Been Michaels, Book, Book Review

With its striking images of an oppressed and riotous people razing a prison to the ground and of swift justice doled out to both the rich and poor by the cold, unsympathetic edge of a guillotine blade, the French Revolution is a period oft-romanticized by historians and story-tellers alike (even I couldn’t help myself just now).

But even more mesmerizing than the Revolution’s violence are the larger-than-life personalities who dominated its politics and acted to steer the Revolution toward their own ideals through fiery speeches, incendiary writings, and shadowy conspiracies.

Of all the political personalities that emerged during the Revolution, none came into as much prominence as Maximilien Robespierre, the provincial lawyer who rose in power to become the embodiment of the Revolution and its ideals when the Revolution was at its bloodiest.

Yet for all his notoriety gained during the Revolution, Robespierre remains its most enigmatic figure and therefore the most vulnerable to debate by historians. Was he simply a blood-thirsty dictator or was he a staunch defender of democratic ideals far-ahead of his time? In her book, Fatal Purity: Robespierre and the French Revolution, historian Ruth Scurr attempts to abandon this love-him-or-hate-him attitude towards Robespierre and instead approaches her subject as objectively as possible.

Exploring his character through historical fact and always giving his motivations the benefit of any rational doubt, Scurr accomplishes her intended goal of providing as fair an account of Robespierre as possible. Unfortunately, it’s at the expense of providing any truly illuminating material about the man that can’t be found outside any historical textbook.

Scurr’s text opens with the early stages of Robespierre’s life and here she provides the book’s most interesting material. Relatively little is known of Robespierre’s life before he became embroiled in the politics of the Revolution and this dearth of facts allows Scurr more interpretive liberty in her writing.

She speculates on how a number of occurrences in his formative years (the death of his parents, his growing up poor, his discovery of the works of Rousseau, his choice of cases as a young lawyer in the province of Arras) may have shaped his revolutionary ideals and his tenacity to never waver from them. In these opening chapters Scurr presents the reader with a Robespierre that lives and breaths; a character with emotions and motivations illustrated through deft interpretation of fact.

Unfortunately, as Robespierre becomes involved in the Revolution this character is lost amidst the constant flurry of Revolutionary events and the text moves from interpretive to narrative. Scurr seems to prefer to let the facts speak for themselves in these later chapters, her writing resembling the straightforward timeline of events one finds in a history textbook.

She hardly dares to offer any interpretation regarding Robespierre and his actions and instead simply details the events of the French Revolution and the extent of Robespierre’s involvement. After the book’s conclusion with his death, the reader certainly knows what Robespierre did but is still unclear as to the actual nature of the man himself.

Ultimately Ruth Scurr’s book, Fatal Purity: Robespierre and the French Revolution, is a well-written history of the life of Maximilien Robespierre and an excellent introduction to the subject of the French Revolution for readers who may be unfamiliar.

However, one hoping to find a more in-depth or new interpretation on who Robespierre was and why the Revolution took the horrific turns that it did should look elsewhere.

Technorati Tags: Ruth Scurr, Fatal Purity: Robespierre and the French Revolution, Book Review, non-fiction